Orb of Sol
This page may be a Stub or not include some information. For a full article on the topic with citations, please see ' ' at Greyhawkonline.com. History According to legend, the origins of this ancient artifact predate the Great Migrations of prehistory. That the Orb was carried across the Flanaess by the Aerdi tribes a millenium ago is a certainty, for there are many contemporaneous accounts of its use in the halfway lands by such migrations-era luminaries as Orelon the Wan and the much revered high-priest Lothan (one is particularly drawn to the translated histories of Nezirdas of Rel Deven). Of the apocryphal period before the migrations, only fragments of narrative exist. It is believed that the Orb was a gift from the Gods to the heliotheocratic Oeridian peoples of central Oerik to inspire their defense against predatory neighboring tribes who worshipped daemons and other monstrous fiends. Many later legends connect its use to the priestess Johydee who reportedly used the powers of the Orb against the depraved enemies of the Aerdi tribes while they were scrambling to escape the all-engulfing wars of the Suel and Baklunish in the Far West. It was carried in battle against dark Ur-Flan necromancers and Suel Wizards alike before the founding of the Great Kingdom. Over the centuries, its appearances became increasing rare and its verity passed into legend. It has become such a powerful symbol of Aerdi unity that few realize today that it was an actual object, its true value and purpose now lost to the mists. Description Its physical description is fairly uncomplicated, though remarkable in its own way. It is a perfect sphere of golden metal (approximately 5 inches in diameter) inlaid with subtle runes throughout its entire surface. Careful study of the runes reveals the markings to be Holy Words written in dozens of languages, including Ancient Suel, Old Oeridian, and the tongue of the Olman. The large majority of these runes are so obscure as to be utterly lost to translation. Some scholars have posited its origins as perhaps Pelorian. Others think it beyond the creation of any one god. It emits a soft yellow glow at rest, but shines fiercely when its powers are activated. It is depicted in this latter state in the heraldry of the kingdom, usually with undulating rays of power. The Orb of Sol is incredibly light, weighing only 5-10 pounds, leading many to suspect that it is hollow or contains some hidden compartment. Over the ages, however, no breach has ever been found on its surface. Centuries of neglect by Aerdi rulers allowed the Orb to fall out of the public consciousness. Pagan beliefs in an all-powerful Sun Power gave way to a polytheism of more closely involved, practical, urban and societal gods. By the time of the creation of the Great Kingdom, the Orb of Sol had little more than symbolic value. In -24 CY, the Court Mage Schandor had the Orb secretly transported out of Rauxes to a resting place at the Temple of Lothan near Rel Deven which was then under the protection of House Cranden. There it remained under token watch for centuries. In 203 CY, it was recovered by the young St. Benedor (then chief among the Knight Protectors of the Great Kingdom) and used in his crusade against the newly sired Death Knights in the years following their creation. In 213 CY, after more than a decade in his possession, it is presumed that St. Benedor lost the Orb in a great battle against the villainous Lord Kargoth. Neither one is thought to have recovered it since, though various rumors have emerged over the centuries. The valorous saint was permanently blinded by the battle, though the Lord of the Death Knights was himself banished from the prime material plane for a time. St. Benedor was rumoured to have rediscovered the location of the Orb of Sol in 504 CY, but these reports also reached the other Death Knights and a chase between these fiends and the Valrous Knight ensued. No one is thought to have recovered the Orb and St. Benedor has not been sighted in the Flanaess since. It is rumored that the Orb passed into Almor some years ago under the protection of the Prelate, but if so, it likely remains buried under the ruins of Chathold. The Death Knights continue to search for the object they believe will end their everlasting curse, for it was the Orb which burned them and left them low to the mercies of the beast, Demogorgon. The reported ambient powers of the Orb work at all times, but to activate its special abilities requires the knowledge to decipher its runes as well as great wisdom. The Orb will scald any inherently evil being in direct contact with the sphere. It is often hot to the touch, regardless. Some of the known and reputed powers of the Orb of Sol include (most are activated through invocation of combinations of the holy words written on the sphere): Category:Artifacts